Five years ago, Scooter Gennett set the Cincinnati Reds' single-game home run record

Five years ago today, Scooter Gennett entered the Cincinnati Reds record books as the first player in team history to ever hit four home runs in a single game.

Gennett was a longtime prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization before being let go prior to the start of the 2017 season. Gennett was claimed off waivers in late-March.

Gennett made his presence felt very quickly with a two-out, two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth inning on Opening Day. The Reds fell by a score of 4-3. But that wouldn't be the last time Gennett went deep during his first season in the Queen City.

Scooter Gennett set the Reds single-game HR record.

On Jue 6, 2017, the Cincinnati Reds were hosting the St. Louis Cardinals. Tim Adelman was on the bump for St. Louis and longtime Reds rival Adam Wainwright started for the Cardinals that evening.

Before we get into the specifics of that magical evening at Great American Ball Park, I feel compelled to remind you that Scooter Gennett was considered a utility player at the time and was actually starting in left field.

Gennett started the inning off with a harmless single in to left field that scored Billy Hamilton. The RBI base hit gave the Reds a 1-0 lead over the Cardinals, but Gennett wasn't done.

In the bottom of the third inning with a full count, a 92-mph fastball from Wainwright was sent into the moondeck in right field and the Redlegs took a 5-1 advantage. The grand slam was the second of Gennett's career.

The route was on as Cincinnati was up 8-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning with John Gant replacing Adam Wainwright. But Scooter didn't care who was on the mound because he cranked a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right-center field for his second round tripper on the night. The Reds took a 10-0 lead.

Gennett led off the bottom of the sixth inning and Gant was still on the bump. Apparently the Cardinals' right-hander didn't learn much from his first encounter because Gennett took a 3-1 pitch opposite way for a solo shot into the left field seats. Cincinnati's lead increased to 11-0.

In the bottom of the eighth inning with the Reds leading 11-1 and Scott Schebler on first base, Scooter Gennett stepped to the plate to a standing ovation from the crowd at Great American Ball Park. Little did they know that the Cincinnati native was about to provide them with something no one had ever seen before.

Gennett took an 0-2 pitch from St. Louis Cardinals reliever over the wall in right field and became the first player in Cincinnati Reds history to hit four home runs in a single game. Scooter rounded the bases and took a bow in front of the home crowd after capping a 5-for-5 night with four dingers and 10 RBIs.

Scooter Gennett was beloved by the Cincinnati faithful, but all good things must come to an end. A spring training injury prior to the 2019 season greatly affected the second baseman's ability to get into the lineup and Gennett was eventually traded later that summer to the San Francisco Giants.

Many fans will never forget the night that Scooter Gennett set the Reds single-game record for home runs, and it's a record that still stands today and will be very difficult to top by anyone. In fact, since Gennett's epic performance, only one major league player has accomplished such a feat. J.D. Martinez of the Boston Red Sox hit four home run on September 4, 2017.